A fleet of elves are spreading Christmas cheer in Glasgow by donating goods to foodbanks and care facilities in the area.

Staff at McDermott group, a building contractor, are donning their festive outfits and stripy stockings as they head out on a mission of good will - handing money, gifts and food to needy children and families.

In total, the company is donating £4,500 worth of cash, food and gifts to help people in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and West Lothian this festive season.

Elves will head out in McDermott Group vans and deliver donations to foodbanks in Glasgow as well as a young carer service in Motherwell run by Action for Children.

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In addition to these deliveries, the building contractor’s staff are volunteering to use their vans to help Action for Children distribute presents from Scottish Water to the charity's centres.

McDermott Group has an ongoing partnership with Action for Children which has included previous fundraising activities and employing young people through the charity to undertake training programmes at McDermott Group sites in Glasgow and Inverclyde.

The building contractor want to help those living on the poverty line this Christmas

Donations to five foodbanks are also being given by McDermott Group to help stop hunger amongst those living below the poverty line this Christmas.

They will be visiting NG homes’ Possilpark Foodbank in Glasgow, Inverclyde Foodbank in Greenock among others.

The building contractor engaged with foodbank charity The Trussell Trust, West Lothian Council and Edinburgh City Council, along with housing associations ng homes, River Clyde Homes and Scottish Borders Housing Association, to find local foodbanks to receive their deliveries.

The McDermott Group elves will be dropping in on those organisations’ head offices during their delivery runs to bring them some added festive spirit.

Commenting on McDermott Group’s donation, Julie Lunt, Senior Fundraiser at Action for Children, said: “Action for Children are delighted that McDermott Group will once again be making Christmas a little brighter for the children we support.

"This year they will be supporting young carers in North Lanarkshire­­­ and the Scottish Borders. These children are as young as eight years old and care for a sick parent or relative, taking on adult responsibilities, and often miss out on their childhood.

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"Thanks to the generosity of McDermott Group, the young carers will get a chance to experience the magic of Christmas that they may otherwise have missed out on.”

The stint follows on from last year when Santa-driven McDermott Group vans delivered £3,000 worth of donations to communities across Glasgow and Inverclyde.

Darren McDermott, Managing Director of McDermott Group, said: “From our previous Christmas activity with the charities Action for Children and the Trussell Trust and from speaking to them and other organisations this year, we understand how difficult the festive period can be for a variety of people across Scotland.

"That is why we are going even bigger this Christmas, increasing our donations and making deliveries to even more communities.

“The work done by foodbank charities to provide food for people in need is a valuable and essential service, while Action For Children young carers services make a real difference to the lives of children and young people who look after someone in their family who is unwell or disabled.

"McDermott Group is currently working on a number of local projects in Scotland and it is important for us that we give back. That is why our elves will be delivering donations to help disadvantaged families and young carers this Christmas.”